The Prime Minister and I (The Prime Minister is Dating) Korean Drama Review

The Prime Minister and I happens to be one of the few recent dramas that both of us watched together, so we’re going to do a joint review on this one. A warning: spoilers will most definitely abound in this review. Here we go!

The Story: A spunky female paparazzi reporter is assigned to write a story about Korea's most eligible bachelor, the Prime Minister, a very serious, overworking widower who is out of touch with his three children. Through a series of misunderstandings, a scandal erupts where the public believes she is his lover. The only way out of it? A pretend marriage, of course! Which is also in her favor because she has a terminally ill father whose dying wish is to walk his daughter down the aisle. Will this contract marriage turn into real love???
Answer: Obviously, yes.

Coco: I fell in love with Prime Minister and I in the beginning because of the personality of the female lead. She was smart, fun, and adventurous. 

Vivi: Same here. She was so sassy! Even though there was an age gap between the two, she didn’t let the male lead push her around.

I do have to say, though, that I’m still upset that she just dropped her scooter in the middle of traffic. Spunky, yes. Safe? No. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SCOOTER?

Coco: It was just a casualty of the trade. One reason I loved her was because she had the funnest job. Who wouldn’t secretly love to be paparazzi? Even though everyone “hates” them, you know you peek at tabloids while in line at supermarkets. I think sneaking around and taking photos of people and prying into their personal lives sounds like a blast. Right? I was just sad that this side of her so quickly disappeared.

Vivi: Look, I was just happy that she started with a job, period. At no point in time was she on the brink of homelessness! That’s female empowerment right there. But yes, I feel like they set her up with a unique, rooftop-sneaking personality, and it just disappeared the second she got married and started straightening her hair. Is she like Samson or something? The curls give her power? In the end, she was this deflated version of her former self. Typical bland, nice female lead.

Exhibit A: Curly and sassy on left, Straight and dull on right.

Coco: Agreed. It was kind of strange because we didn’t even get to see the transition or makeover. Suddenly she was wearing dresses instead of jeans and it barely mentioned that leaving her job and becoming a housewife was any kind of a loss for her. She mentioned that it was hard for her to be in the house all day once, but there was no talk about it after that. As much as the ending plot device of the female lead venturing off on her own to find herself gets tiresome, in this case it made up for it a little.

Vivi: No way. She ventured off to become a successful author, which appears to be the new Kdrama version of the “fashion designer.” Remember Marry Him If you Dare? She did the same thing.

Coco: Plus, if I think about it, it was really more of a sign of her domestication. Since she was struggling with becoming a mother to these children, becoming a children’s book writer is the tamest version of her former career.

Vivi: Yes, exactly that. But what makes it even worse is that they domesticated her into a nice housewife, and then SHE ABANDONED THE CHILDREN! What kind of logic is that? “You know what would totally help these poor, abandoned children? If I ALSO abandoned them! Their mom is in town--this is the only possible answer!” Because we all know that kids can only handle one loving person in their lives at a time.

Coco: Yes, that seemed like the worst idea ever. As if they weren’t traumatized enough. I don’t think that piece of writing was true to her character. I think they just fell into the noble selfless love plot device, which as we’ve already discussed, is stupid and awful. Not to mention that it just led to the whole thing evolving from a fun romantic comedy to a lackluster melodrama.

Vivi: Yeah, aside from the deflated female lead, that’s the second big problem with this show. It turned into a melodrama, but it was a shallow melodrama. Instead of going into depth with the actual real-life problems they were facing (him dealing with his wife’s death, her dealing with her dad and struggling to fit into her new role), it felt like the writers were just saving up random plot devices (He got stabbed!) that they could toss in for emotional impact. It felt cheap. I hated all of the boooooooring political intrigue, and the whole side story with the wife dragged everything down so that I didn’t really care about any of it.

Coco: Yes, I wish they had never brought her back to life. It would have been much more interesting if they had just focused on him dealing with his wife’s betrayal and death and the guilt he felt, and her dealing with the fact that she was giving up her life and personality while also dealing with her dad’s terminal illness. It makes me think that the writers just added that storyline in because ratings were slipping and they thought people might be more interested in a melodrama. I would have instead liked to see their relationship develop as they each find identities that make them happy with each other’s help. 

Vivi: The one consistent positive for me was Lee Bum Soo as the prime minister. Yes, there was a patch in the middle where the writers made him shout at his wife a little too much for my taste, but I thought he handled the role really well overall. I genuinely liked the prime minister, and that was 100% due to acting. Yoona did well with what she had, but she didn’t get much to work with for the last third of the drama. They were so cute together!

Coco: I loved Yoona, and I think she did a great job even though her character degenerated. And it’s not like her character became totally unlikeable. There were aspects of her that were lovely and admirable, but she just lost the spirit and feistiness that would have made me want to be her best friend. I will definitely watch her next drama because she is really cute and fun as an actress. Let’s just hope that next time she has better material.

Vivi: I felt the worst for Yoon Si Yoon, though. Poor guy got nothing to do the whole time. I guess he got to practice his worried face a lot?

Coco: The only other drama I had seen him in was Flower Boy Next Door, and I wasn’t a fan of his childlike, slightly annoying character. This drama actually made me like him a whole lot more. He’s really pretty good at crying. But he played a second male lead that I only felt somewhat torn over. At the end when he’s like, then just date me, I was like, ok that would be pretty good, but I wasn’t crying inside that she chose the Prime Minister instead.

Vivi: You’re right. I liked him even though he just had to be sad all of the time. How I feel about these characters is how I feel about the drama in general. It wasn’t actively bad; it just lost the magic towards the end. I certainly wasn’t nearly as angry with this drama as I was with some others that I’ve seen.

Coco: You know what was actively bad though? The fact that there was NO KISS! A handshake? SERIOUSLY?

Vivi: I wonder if it’s in Lee Bum Soo’s contract that he can’t go past a hug. The same thing happened in History of a Salaryman. Maybe his wife gets too jealous?

I actually didn’t completely hate the handshake at the end. (*waits to be attacked). I mean, I didn’t love it, but I got that it was trying to be symbolic. Besides, I was much more upset that we didn’t get a scene with the kids at the end.

Coco: True! How cute was that little boy? He sent me into some serious baby hungriness as only really adorable Asian kids can.

Vivi: Man Seeeeeeeeeeeee!

Coco: If I had stopped watching The Prime Minister and I halfway through I would probably have added it to my favorites list, and maybe even to the recommendations list, but it took a nosedive due to writing and I honestly struggled to make myself watch the last couple of episodes. 

Vivi: Ditto to all of that. 

What did you think of The Prime Minister and I? Comment below!

Why Jang Geun Suk is the Prince of Asia: Pretty Man (Bel Ami/Beautiful Man/Pretty Boy) Korean Drama Review

Pretty Man was one of those K-dramas that could have gone either way for me, pretty much until the very end when it all unexpectedly came together. There were parts of the plot that made no sense, and aspects of the characters that I loathed, but somehow by a little magic it kept me coming back for more, and even left me satisfied at the end. After short thought I contribute this largely to the mystery that is Jang Geun Suk's charm. I can't explain it, and never believed in it before, but this drama has undeniably led me to understand why it is that Jang Geun Suk is indeed the Prince of Asia.

But let me back up…

The main reason I was drawn to Pretty Man was because of IU's charming ability to make you want to be her, or to at least be her best friend. Her character, Kim Bo Tong, is this strange combination of awkward, adorable, whimsical, slightly perverted, very determined, and incorrigible in her determination to love the male lead.

IU portrays this child-like innocence and wonder like no other actress. Her big round eyes, porcelain skin, rosy lips, and cute little haircut all contribute to this ability, but beyond that she just exudes an excitement as if she's discovering the world for the first time and is in awe of all of it, especially of the male lead, Ma Te (Jang Geun Suk).

I just couldn't resist this female lead despite the fact that her type of one-sided love and obsession for the male lead always is a huge turn off for me (see my Playful Kiss review for another example of my hatred for puppy-like female leads). It still really bothered me to see her give and give relentlessly to Ma Te even though he snubbed her and used her so arrogantly, but in spite of this assault on my senses, I was able to overlook it. IU magic!

One reason I think I was able to get past that was that I LOVED the second male lead David Choi, played by Lee Jang Woo. Since he played such a big part in the drama, more so than most second male leads, I sometimes forgot entirely about Ma Te. He provided a great distraction from the parts I hated and I was sucked into his equally quirky, innocent, and loyal character. He definitely was the other half of IU and their interactions were hilarious and awww-inducing.

I knew he wasn't going to win, but I managed to live in denial completely for about 14 of the 16 episodes. Then it all went south when the male lead finally decided to do a complete, sudden 180 and fall in love with the female lead.

Oh my heart! I was so sad for him.

I want you by my side David!!!

I don't think the writers really thought the plot all the way through before they wrote it, or even until they were writing the second to last episode. The main story line of Ma Te having to seduce 10 women to steal their powers so he could become a worthy heir just didn't really solidify. They kept up the "a new girl to tame an episode" theme for the first few episodes, but then it was like they forgot about it entirely or ran out of ideas. It was as if in the last few episodes the writers were like, "I feel like we're forgetting something. Oh yeah! We never finished the PLOT!" So then they hurriedly threw in a couple more girls and assigned some random women that already existed in the story those roles.

Oh man, this moment when he was trying to seduce the electric fairy was when I first realized his charm.

Also the whole "secret code" thing was problematic to me. First, I don't understand what the point of the secret code was since he didn't actually need it to get anything since he wasn't actually an heir. Second, I don't really get what it means for IU to be his secret code. Secret code to what? His CEO father, who ended up not even being his father, didn't give him anything once he brought IU with him. It made no sense. I don't think that's what the writers originally set out to do. I guess they meant that IU was his secret code to happiness in life, but it just wasn't well thought out.

The biggest problem of all was the placement of the main couple in the plot. We all know that this genre of K-dramas are pretty much all alike in that there is a mean male lead, but then he falls in love with the poor, hard working female lead, so he's nice to her and they are blissful for a couple of episodes until they face one last major challenge to their love (usually involving an evil matriarch) and then they end up happily ever after.

Pretty Man succeeded in this, but the timing was all off. Ma Te was not nice and showed hardly any signs of love towards Bo Tong until the last two episodes. This should have happened by episode 8! It was too little too late. They totally missed the couple blissful episodes in the middle that they should have had, and the male lead never grew on me.

For every 10 arrogant faces he made, there was one irresistible smile. And let's not forget the myriad of hairstyles, mostly ugly!

And this is where the magic of Jang Geun Suk comes in. Somehow he made this work. He scowled and was arrogant for 90% of the show, but when he turned around and became loving and humble at the very last second, I actually bought it!

How is that possible? And I wasn't even all that sad that she didn't end up with the second male lead, even though his sadness broke my heart and I wanted them together so bad. But beyond comprehension Jang Geun Suk flashed his hypnotizing smile and made me believe it was all going to be ok. I kind of hate him for it, but I can't deny he did it. He saved the show!

Overall, I enjoyed Pretty Man partly because I tricked my roommate into watching it with me so we bonded over it, partly because the whimsical feel of it was fun and light after watching so much crying in Heirs, partly because I love IU, partly because I wanted to marry the second male lead, and ultimately because Jang Geun Suk is the Prince of Asia and kind of the Prince of My Heart, just a little bit.

For all its plot holes and the obnoxious female lead's love for the male lead, I can recommend it as a fun, light hearted K-drama to watch when you just want to mindlessly sit back and relax. There wasn't too much excessive crying or longing, but it will give you the pleasant FEELS.

What did you think of Pretty Man? Did Jang Geun Suk steal your heart? Which of his hairstyles did you hate the most? Comment below!

It’s Korean snack time!

Summer is over and it’s time to head back to school and work. To make this transition a little easier it helps to bring some delicious snacks with you. Instead of grabbing your trusty American snacks, spice things up by trying a Korean snack. In order to determine which Korean snacks are the best, I headed over to K-town to pick some up. I had a hard time deciding because once I see Korean stuff I want to buy it all, but I finally narrowed it down to 5!

The taste testing panel included Min, Jackie, and Stan from DramaFever, and me, Coco.

We scored the snacks on texture, flavor intensity, aftertaste, and balance of sweetness/saltiness. Here are the results:

1. Corn Chi

Texture: 7/20

Flavor Intensity: 9/20

Aftertaste: 11/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 14/20

Total: 41/80

Comments:
Min: “It was kind of bland and too mushy. Flavor was ok, but I wish it were more crunchy.”

Jackie: “Not crunchy at all. Quite disappointing because I thought it would be like cheese puffs.”

Stan: “Mushy and on the bland side.”

Coco: “Not good at all.”

2. Sweet Potato Snack

Texture: 13/20

Flavor Intensity: 13/20

Aftertaste: 12/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 13/20

Total: 51/80

Comments:

Min: “It’s good and sugary but the hard texture and funky aftertaste make me not want much.”

Jackie: “Very sticky but pleasantly crunchy. Nice mix of sweet and salty. Kind of too savory for a snack.

Stan: “Crunchy and just a little sweet. Could eat lots of them.”

Coco: “Kind of like sticky pretzels. Good for a handful, but not a whole bag.”

3. Corn Snack

Texture: 7/20

Flavor Intensity: 6/20

Aftertaste: 11/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 7/20

Total: 31/80

Comments:

Min: “Tastes like day old popcorn without butter. Is this a snack for old people?”

Jackie: ”Very light and not crunchy at all. Neither sweet nor salty.”

Stan: “Very soft and mushy, but a pleasant aftertaste.”

Coco: “Has a bland taste with a strange not-quite-popcorn texture.”

4. Peanut Balls

Texture: 11/20

Flavor Intensity: 13/20

Aftertaste: 10/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 13/20

Total: 47/80

Comments:
Min: “Funky fishy taste. The nut in the middle was a nice surprise, but it was not my favorite.”

Jackie: “I definitely like this crunchy snack with its peanut taste.”

Stan: “Crunchy and a little sweet with an odd aftertaste.”

Coco: “Like a peanut-y, fishy version of Captain Crunch. Strangely I want more. Kind of addictive.

5. Ddukbokki

Texture: 14/20

Flavor Intensity: 18/20

Aftertaste: 14/20

Sweetness/Saltiness: 12/20

Total: 58/80

Comments:
Min: “Can’t tell if it’s sweet or salty. The spiciness is good until the aftertaste.”

Jackie: “ Very flavorful. The spicy kick is a nice surprise. It has a lasting aftertaste.

Stan: “Crunchy with a pleasant spicy aftertaste.”

Coco: “It’s like dehydrated Asian noodles: sweet, spicy, and sticky.

And the winner is Ddukbokki! Check out your nearest Korean market to try some of these snacks for yourself!

Have you tried any Korean snacks? Let us know how you like them in the comments below.

Coco and Vivi at KCON 2013: A Whirlwind Recap

It's been a week since we got back from KCON, and we've finally settled enough to start posting some of our experiences.  Brace yourselves for an extremely long post containing an absurd amount of photos...

I wasn't even planning on going to KCON because I like to pretend that I'm a responsible adult and can't just drop everything to go to Korean conventions in other states, but when I woke up on Friday and realized I had no plans for the weekend, my husband and I decided to just get in the car and road trip it at the last minute.  I'm so glad I did! KCON was an absolute blast.  Here are some highlights:


The line to get into KCON was enormous, and unfortunately Viki's panel featuring Sean Richard Dulake and the ladies from Dramabeans was one of the very first panels of the day, so we only caught the tail end of it.

Fortunately, we were able to talk to Javabeans and Girl Friday after the panel, and they graciously agreed to play a round of Kdrama "Would You Rather" for the camera.

So yes, they're just as delightful and hilarious in person as they are on Dramabeans.  Seeing them in real life also made me feel a bit starstruck because I'm pretty sure that anyone who has every watched a Korean drama has also read something on Dramabeans. The only other time I ever met anyone remotely famous was on a plane to Albuquerque when I swear Robert Redford walked past me to use the lavatory. This experience definitely tops that one, though I suppose I could work on building a stronger celebrity-o-meter.

Javabeans and Girlfriday weren't the only ones we interviewed.  We also really enjoyed getting to know the many kdrama fans at the convention a little bit better.  Here was the first of our questions:

We got a lot of great responses, including some from Soompi, Viki, and 24-7 Kpop.  I love how some of these people didn't even bat an eyelash before deciding on their villainous alter-egos.

This was just the first of our questions.  We will have more of these fan question videos coming up in the next few days!

In the afternoon, we tried the "Anyone Can Cook Korean Food!" workshop, which should have been titled "If a chef prepares everything in advance, I'm sure you morons can figure out how to stir it all together, right?  Right?"  We successfully manged to put sauce into our bowls for some delicious bibimbap.

Okay, so I cheated and didn't place everything into a beautiful pile before I started eating.
Apparently, even stirring a bowl of stuff is beyond my capabilities.

Bibigo, the company who ran the workshop, gave everyone free Psy masks in honor of their most famous sponsor.
They also gave everyone free nightmares.

Of course, we also wandered over to the dance workshop, where everyone was learning sweet moves in preparation for the big concert.  It took us about four minutes before we realized we really didn't belong.

What the dancing should look like.  Notice how everyone is moving at the same time! So fun!

What our dancing actually looked like. I have no idea what either one of us is trying to do, but I feel pretty confident that none of it appears in EXO's music video.

What I really enjoyed about KCON was that there was always something going on at any given moment.  Coco and I (and Coco's mom, who was the biggest Kpop fan out of the whole bunch) just ran around looking at everything.

There was a center stage that constantly featured performers or competitions.

And, of course, plenty of Kpop cosplay to observe.

But seriously,how adorable are these two girls dressed as Crayon Pop?

Most importantly, there were about a million food trucks serving delicious food.

Coco tried these amazing bulgogi buns.  I went more traditional with a burger, which was great until I discovered that every single port-a-potty was out of toilet paper.  NOT an ideal situation to face after eating food truck burgers....I'll say no more.

The other great thing about conventions is that they give you all kinds of random free stuff with your food:

I was so excited about this Kim Soo Hyun poster!  Is he too young for me? YES! Do I have anywhere where I could reasonably hang a poster of a young Korean actor without being creepy? NO! But it was free, and that alone makes me happy.

Sadly, because my KCON trip was pretty impromptu, I wasn't able to stay for the concert on Sunday night.  Fortunately, Coco was able to attend, and she took some pictures to rub it into my face (and---by extension--everyone else's faces who didn't get to go.  Let's all moan about our misfortune together, okay?)

So excited for the concert to start! Who wouldn't be excited with a hot pink glow wand?

F(x)

EXO playing.  Look at that crowd!  So many Kpop fans, all in one place!  The energy at the whole convention was pretty amazing.

I'm definitely sold on attending KCON next year.  Stay tuned for some more KCON fan videos, as well as Coco's stab at KCON speed dating!